Shark Tale: Family Tradition
by LaurenShort-DisneyFan
Summary: The daughter of Don Anthony,a mob boss friend of Lino's,comes to visit the Reef,hoping to see Frankie,her first love.But when she discovers that he's dead,what will her family think when she turns to the younger brother for comfort(PleaseR&R)
1. Prologue

**Note**: I do not own any of the Shark Tale characters…except for the ones that I just made up. (Obviously)

**Shark Tale: Family Tradition**

**By Dramaqueen-8.0**

**Prologue**

_Fifteen Years Earlier…_

A gloomy and clouded sky loomed over the tropical waters. Fishing boats that had decided to work in that particular area today were packing it up for the night, while the coast guard remained at full alert. Whatever boats that vacationing families had rented headed back to shore, not too happy of having to cut their day so short, as it had been very expensive to acquire it. This was a sign that a hurricane would soon engulf the entire surface of the ocean, creating waves that would effect even the smallest of sea creatures.

But a storm at sea was always the least of their problems, they obviously have bigger problems to worry about aside from humans and a little rain. There were, after all, larger fish in the sea. Fish that even humans feared more than any other sea creature. This particular shore was known for its shark sightings. But only the smaller breeds of sharks could be seen closer to land. The deeper the water got, the larger the sharks would get.

These were great whites, and they could be seen swimming all around the reefs that lined the ocean floor, always alert for any threat to themselves, or just on the look out for whatever smaller, insignificant creature that would cross their path. But to have such a thing happen was very rare, as no fish wants to face the wrath of a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, this being the reputation given to great whites by the filming industry.

What's even more frightening about these monsters is the fact that you almost never see them coming. But if you do happen to catch a glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye…you have no idea what actions to expect from them.

God knows what these enormous, vicious predators are thinking half the time…

* * *

Tina poked her head out from behind her hiding place, which consisted of a large boulder. After she and Sal had given their brother Paulie the slip, she finally felt like she would have a good chance at winning their game of 'Predators', something similar to Hide-and-Seek, only if the predator found the prey, the prey would be 'eaten', which consisted of the predator tagging the prey. Whoever was 'eaten' first, was the knew predator. The prey would have to remain out of site while they were being tracked, by finding different places to hide from whoever was it, which was exactly what Tina was doing at the moment. 

Sneaking away from her two older brothers was never easy, as they were quite exceptional trackers, as most great whites should be. She made up for it by being much smaller than them, which made it easier to hide. Out of all three of them, they may have been the better trackers, but she was the best hider in the whole family.

She glanced in all directions before moving cautiously forward, gliding silently through the dimly lit water. What every good hider knows is that you can't stay in one spot for too long, otherwise you'll eventually be discovered. She moved away from her perfect hiding spot, a bit reluctant at first. She was used to playing closer to home, but today they couldn't be farther from it.

The three of them had come with their father on a business trip, which was being held on the outskirts of the South Side Reef, inside of a large, sunken ocean liner. Tina found it very fascinating, wanting to explore the underwater vessel. But for some reason, her father didn't want his little girl to have any fun inside of the ship. He was probably afraid that she would break something. So, after much arguing from Paulie and Sal, who wanted to be apart of the meeting rather than baby-sit their sister, here they were, playing a kiddy game in a strange and dark neighborhood.

But she didn't mind. She loved spending time with her brothers and playing games. She soon forgot about the ocean liner as she swam in and out of new hiding places, exploring at the same time, easily avoiding whoever was it.

She continued swimming, ever cautious of her surroundings. All she had to do was reach home base and she would be home free. She peered through the surprisingly clear water, her eyes being used to a darker part of the ocean. Although she could see through the water perfectly, she still found it difficult trying to spot the oddly shaped rock that the three siblings had chosen to symbolize home base.

She glanced around again before making a mad dash for a small kelp bed, hidden from view once more. She poked her head up over the seaweed, still in search of her safe haven. She looked through the water in all directions, knowing that she was running out of time. Just then, she saw it; the large, oddly shaped rock that they had decreed as home base.

But before she could make a swim for it, she'd heard a movement in the water to her left. Tina spun around to face the source of the noise, ducking down further into the kelp bed. Her eyes darted back and fourth, expecting to see the silhouette of one of her brothers. But there was no one in sight.

Before she could think twice about it, she bounded forward, swimming like crazy in the direction of the large rock. It was getting closer. She was almost there-

"BOO!" Sal had darted out from behind the rock, swimming in front of her.

Tina let out a horrified yelp, stopping just inches away from her brother's nose.

Sal began to laugh hysterically, holding his sides with his fins. "That was great! You should have seen the look on your face, Squirt!"

Tina suddenly realized that it was just Sal that had scared her, not Paulie, who was currently the Predator.

She sighed, glaring up at him. "Cut it out! And don't call me Squirt, Sally!"

"Why not?" he asked, taking a deep breathe, as he was a little winded from laughing so hard. "You are a squirt…" He gave her a playful shove, which sent her back a few feet. "Squirt."

"Quit it!" Tina shoves him back, but it doesn't do much.

Sal just laughed again, leaning coolly up against the rock. "Hey, shouldn't you be lookin' out for Paulie. He's it ya know."

"I know how to play Predator, SAL!" Tina responded, rolling her blue eyes.

The larger shark looked down at her, grinning mischievously. "Oh, you do, do ya?"

Tina crosses her fins, glaring up at him. "Yeah, I do."

"Well, apparently you forgot one very important rule."

"Like what?"

"Like how the Predator can choose someone in the game to help him find little guppies like you."

Tina went a little pale, letting her fins drop to her sides. "Oh."

Just then, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She winced, knowing what was coming. She turned slowly around to see who was behind her, despite the fact that she already knew…

It was Paulie, grinning down at her. "Sorry, Squirt. Yer dead."

"Aww, not again!" She whined, turning away from them with her fins crossed again. "I always have to die first! You guys never play fare. You always gang up on me like this!"

"Well, that's 'cause yer not as deceptive as we are." Sal came up behind her, showing her mock sympathy as he pats her on the back. "But don't worry about it, Kid. I mean, who knows, maybe you'll grow up to be just as big and as threatening as us one day."

Tina turned around, looking up at them hopefully. "You really think so?"

Paulie and Sal looked at each other before breaking out into laughter. Paulie looked down at his little sister. "Yeah, right! You? Threatening?!" He continued laughing at the thought of her being ruthless.

Her smile faded, replaced by a glare.

Sal saw the look she was giving them, stopping him from laughing even more. "Okay, okay, we're sorry Squir- uh, Tina." He pats her on the back gently, so as not to send her flying again. "We'll play fare this next round, alright?"

Tina sighed, still not convinced. "Whatever."

At hearing this, Paulie stops. "Wait a minute." He shot a glare at his older brother. "We have to play this _again_?!"

"Yeah," Sal said sternly. "You heard Pop. He doesn't-" He pauses, not wanting Tina to hear. He then turns his attention to his sister. "Tina, why don't you go on ahead and stay here and count to a hundred while we go hide, okay?"

She nods in excitement. Even though she didn't like to lose, she did however like being the Predator. "Okay!"

She swam over to the rock, hiding her eyes, counting quietly to herself.

Sal couldn't help but smile. She may have been a bit of a pain every now and then, but she sure was a cute pain.

He looked over at Paulie, who still wasn't too happy about playing a third round of a kid's game. Sal gestures for Paulie to follow him. They swim away from Tina, as he continues what he'd been saying earlier once they're out of her hearing range.

"Pop doesn't want her to have anything to do with, you know, what he does." He looks forward, now talking more to himself than to Paulie. "Plus, I don't really trust this Lino guy. I know he and Pop are good friends, but there's just something about him, and this place…" He glances over at his brother. "It's just better if she stays out of that ship, is all."

Paulie shakes his head. "But it's not gonna matter here pretty soon! She's gotta find out sooner or later. You know how nosey she is!"

"I know, and so does Pop. He just doesn't wanna subject her to the business just yet, that's all." Sal glances around, keeping a lookout for other sharks. Since Tina was still a pup, she would be left alone, as she didn't pose a threat. But because of their size, he and Paulie had good reason to be on edge.

"Look, it's not like I don't know how ya feel, Paulie. I mean, I'd like to be in that meeting too." He stops swimming, glaring at his younger brother. "But what Pop says, goes. If he needs us to keep Tina outta that ship, and away from Don Lino and his goons, then so be it."

Paulie glares right back, pointing a fin at him. "But Sal, she's not stupid! It's like I keep sayin', she's getting older. Pop won't be able to keep this up. It's not like she's gonna wanna play this game forever, ya know!"

"And it's like I keep telling _you_, Paulie, Pop knows what he's doin'. So drop it!" Sal turns away from him, continuing to swim forward.

Paulie goes to follow him. "But Sal, she won't even notice if we're gone! Why can't we just go up and take a look…just for a few minutes?"

He begins to raise his voice, not understanding his brother's stubbornness. "What if Pop needs us, or something? You and I both know that Ma wouldn't want us to just-"

Sal spun around, angry at the mention of their mother. " I said drop it, Paulie!"

Paulie was about to protest more, but decided against it, after seeing the look in Sal's eyes. He looks on at him in silence. Eventually, he swims off heatedly in another direction, in search of a hiding place.

Sal shook his head as he watched him swim away. He knew that Paulie meant well, and that he just wanted to be as good of a gangster as their father. But he had a problem with authority, not doing what he was told. Sal knew that if he didn't grow out of it soon, it would get him into trouble someday…maybe worse.

He then continued on his own, in search of his own place to hide, as Tina would be done counting soon.

* * *

" 'As she crept through the still, ocean water . . .she began the search for the two cowardly guppies that called themselves sharks. They know she is coming for them…but their efforts to hide themselves from her sights will all prove to be in vain.' " 

Tina glided slowly through the water, searching for her brothers. She loved being the predator. She always found it more fun to narrate whatever she was doing during this particular game. She looked from her left, to her right, and then to her left again, keeping an eye out for any movement.

Suddenly, she noticed that a nearby kelp bed began to sway slightly, as if a new presence had disturbed its stillness. Tina squinted at the seaweed, grinning evilly. She began to make her way slowly over to the bed, muttering the theme from Jaws under her breathe.

That was why she loved being the Predator; just so she could mutter that music.

"Duh-dum…duh-dum…"

Upon reaching the kelp, she stops, eyeing it in silence, waiting for more movement. After a minute or two had passed, she could see something moving again. Almost immediately, she goes into action, bounding forward into the underwater plant.

"Ha! Got ya!"

Her enthusiasm fades, however, upon seeing a small group of sea horses glancing up at her in terror.

"Oh!" Tina gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" She lowers her voice, in hopes to calm the small creatures. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you!" She holds up her right fin. "Promise."

The sea horses are still too frightened to even move, despite the oath she'd given them. All they can do is back away from her slowly, mouths dropped open.

Unfortunately, because of her innocence, she doesn't even notice the panic she's causing them just by staying there. So, she continues to speak to them as if it were no big deal.

"Hey, can you guys help me with something?"

They just stare up at her in silence, shaking from fear of being swallowed alive by a shark. She takes their silence as a yes, cueing for her to continue.

"Well, ya see, I'm playing this game with my brothers, Paulie and Sal, and I was kinda hoping that you could, ya know," she lowers her voice even more, leaning in closer to the horses, causing them to back away further. "Give me a hint, or something?"

Still, no response. She takes this as another yes.

"Did ya see them anywhere around here? Ya know, two big sharks, can't miss 'em."

The horses just look at one another, still in shock at the politeness of this young great white, who apparently didn't think she was large in size. Their tiny eyes widened at the thought of two sharks who she considered to be much bigger than herself swimming nearby.

Not wanting two more to show up, they look back up at her, as if in unison, using their tails to point in at least four different directions. Naturally, this only puzzles Tina.

"Uh, thanks," she says, smiling at them politely. She turns away from them, heading off in one of the directions they had indicated, mumbling, "I guess." Tina then leaves the kelp bed behind, not noticing the little sea horses scattering like mad to get out of sight, for fear of her returning for more advice.

The young shark continues to stalk through the ocean floor, in search of her supposed victims, every now and then narrating her actions, quietly repeating, "duh-dum…duh-dum…"

* * *

"It's a simple request, Lino. All I'm askin' is that you keep your boys out of my territory. I don't know how many times I have to say it." 

Don Lino sat behind his desk, listening to whatever business the shark opposite of him would discuss. This was Don Anthony, Tony for short. A large great white shark, about the same size as Lino. When it came to being the boss and running his own territory, he could be just as ruthless and cold-blooded as Lino, possibly more so.

Tony hadn't been around for quite a few years, but he and Lino had always managed to stay in touch, sending messengers or just by using the phone, discussing business or just family issues, like when their children were born or if a relative had passed. They'd been friends since they were just kids. But over the years, their positions as head of their organizations have driven them apart, sometimes forcing them against each other. Neither one of them wanted it to be this way. But things must be sacrificed, for the good of the business.

The last time Lino had seen his old friend was when Tina, his youngest pup, had been born. Unfortunately, it was also the same day that he had lost his wife, Lillian, as she had died giving birth to their daughter. It had been a very hard time for the dean, having to raise three kids on his own and to be a mob boss all at the same time. He didn't let it show, for fear of others thinking that he was going soft. But Tony couldn't put a fast one past Don Lino, though he was doing his best to do so.

Lino shook his head. He'd been trying to convince Tony that the territory he'd been referring to was of no interest to him whatsoever. In fact, it was too far out of range for him to care. But Anthony was a very stubborn Dean, always putting up a fight.

"Tony," Lino grinned, "my boys have been nowhere near you're territory. It's like I keep telling you, they always check in with Luca, and when they do, they have to say where it is they're going, and where they'd been."

He leaned in closer to Anthony. "So far I have had no reason to suspect them of lying to me. Now, if it appeared to be that way, I would have to take very drastic measures."

He sits up straight again. "Otherwise, I can assure you that if there is someone of my acquaintance trespassing onto you or anyone else's property without you or my knowing, it will be taken care of."

Tony sighs. He knows Lino would never lie to him, especially about something like this. But there was no mistake about it; someone wasn't staying where they belonged.

"Look, I know that if I asked ya to, you'd be honest with me. And I know that you wouldn't lie to me, even if you knew the truth would just upset me." Tony crosses his fins in front of him. "But if that's not the case, then I wanna know what else is goin' on, and who is it that's decided to give me these ulcers with their presence! If it ain't you, then who is it?"

"Alright, take it easy!" Lino holds up a fin. "It's not anyone of mine, okay? Case closed, Tony. But if there is someone rustlin' in on yer territory, and is a threat to you, then I'll see what I can do. I'll send some of my best guys out near the borders. They'll keep an eye out for anyone coming or going. If ya want, they can check in with you first, then come to me. But on one condition…"

He leans up against his desk casually. "You and yer kids come visit more often…or else, no deal." Lino gives him a reassuring grin. "That okay with you?"

There is a moment of silence while Tony thinks it over. He finally looks up at the other great white, giving him a similar grin.

"Lino…if you think for one minute that your guys can keep a better watch on those borders than my boys…" he shrugs. "Then so be it, we'll give it a shot."

He gets up out of his seat. "And you have my word that you'll be seein' a lot more of us around here. I guarantee it."

Lino comes out from around his desk., giving Tony a traditional hug. He then pulls away, still grinning at him.

"I'm glad we could work all this out." Lino pats him on the shoulder. "How about ya stick around for a while, Tone? Meet some of the guys."

Tony shakes his head. "No, I feel like I've been enough trouble to you already. I apologize for my short temper, but I've got kids to worry about. I know that you can understand that."

"Of course I do. It's not a problem, really," said Lino. He pauses, observing his friend in silence before continuing, his tone now serious. "How ya been, Anthony?"

"Ah, ya know how it is," he answers, nodding. "But things are going pretty good."

"That's not what I mean," Lino says quickly.

It's Tony's turn to be silent. He finally sighs, looking down at the floor. "It hasn't been easy, Lino…especially for the boys. It's been really hard for them." He shakes his head. "I just thank God that Tina was too young to even remember it."

He looks up at the other shark. "But at the same time, I wish that she could have known her mother…if only for a little while."

"I'm sorry, Tone…I really am," Lino says quietly. "If it's any consolation…if there's anything you need, and I mean anything…you let me know."

"I appreciate that Lino, really…but we'll be okay."

Lino nods, not really convinced. "Right…Well," he pats him on the back again, gesturing toward the door. "It's just a shame that you can't stay for a while, is all. You should see my boys. They're growin' like seaweed."

Tony forces a chuckle, glad to get off the subject of his family's loss. "Yeah, I saw Frankie on my way in. If he keeps it up, he'll be as big Sal pretty soon." He begins to swim towards the door of the office. He turns to face Lino. "Hey, where's Lenny? I didn't see him anywhere. How's he doin'? Is he finally eatin' right?"

Lino sighs. "I suppose so. Frankie tells me he's eatin' all sorts of fish. At least he's killin' something now. The kid won't even take out a worm on a hook, for cryin' out loud, at least not when I'm around." He shrugs. "Ah well. Kids. Am I right?"

Lino opens the door to his office, letting Tony through first. "Anyway, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. He'll turn up."

"Hey, Pop?"

The two bosses turn to see a shark half their size swimming towards them. Lino grins. "Frankie! Perfect timing!" He gestures for his son to come closer. "I want you to say hello to yer Uncle Tony."

Young Frankie swims up to his father, looking up at the other shark. "Hey." He waves, not really very interested.

Lino puts a fin around Frankie. "You might not remember him, but he was there when you were born." He looks up at Tony. "In fact, I think that might have been the last time he'd seen you."

"Now that's not true." Tony pointed out. "I was here when Lenny was born, too." He reaches down, giving Frankie a noogie. "How ya doin', Kid?"

"Fine," Frankie grumbled. He didn't like being called Kid, or getting noogies.

Once his punishment is over, Frankie looks up at Lino. "Mom wants to know when yer comin' home. She says she needs to know if yer bringing company for dinner or not."

Lino looks up at Tony again. "Well, that all depends on where my friend here stands. What do ya say, Tone? Feel like stomaching whatever it is Marie's got whipped up for tonight?"

Tony just smiles. "I'd love to, Lino, you know I've got nothing against Marie's cookin'. But there's some business I have to attend to back home. I hope you understand."

Lino expresses a forced grin this time. "I do." He looks down at his eldest son. "Tell her it's just us tonight, Frank." He pats him on the head. "I'll be home in about an hour."

"'Kay," Frankie answers dully. He begins to swim away form the two, but stops when Lino calls out to him again. He turns to face his father.

"Have you seen Lenny around anywhere?" Lino asks.

"No, Pop, I haven't," answered Frankie irritably, rolling his eyes. He was tired of his parents treating him as if he were his brother's baby-sitter. "Ask Luca, maybe he knows." He turns again, uttering under his breath, "he's more of a nanny than I am," hoping his father didn't here him.

"Alright," he calls out, not noticing his son's attitude. "But if ya see him, tell him to head home."

Frankie doesn't stop to answer him. Instead, he continues to swim forward, waving a fin back at his father as a response.

Lino looks after his son, shaking his head, sighing. "One of these days, I'm gonna have to put tracking devices on those two." He looks back at Tony. "Especially Lenny. God knows where he always goes."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Lino. My kids can be the same way." Tony pats his friend on the back. "But one of those tracking things would be great to have for someone like Tina."

Lino laughs, remembering his friends daughter. "Oh, yeah. I forgot all about Tina." He looks around, hoping to spy the young pup. "Where is she? I wanna see how big she's gotten."

"Don't bother," said Tony. "She's not here. Her, Paulie and Sal are playing some kind of kids game. I forget what it's called."

The two continue swimming again, Tony still talking. "Anyway, I should be going. I need to go seek 'em out. Finding Paulie and Sal is easy. It's that girl I gotta worry about."

* * *

"Okay…I give up!" Tina calls out, aggravated, getting tired of searching. "You can come out now!" 

She looks all around her, trying to see through the darkened water. It was getting late, and she'd wandered far away from where their home base resided. Squinting, she calls out again.

"Paulie…! Sal…!" She pauses, listening to the silence, hoping to hear one of them answer.

But they don't. The only response is the rustling of kelp beds all around her, making her surroundings look a little eerie.

Tina swims for a little ways, moving slowly, all the while glancing on either side of her nervously. "Guys?" she asks, her voice now showing a trace of fear. "Come on, Sally, you promised you wouldn't do this!"

She suddenly hears something in the distance, causing her to stop short, eyes wide as she listens hard. It sounded like someone was disturbing the stillness of the current, swimming through the water. She swallows the lump in her throat.

"Hello?" She looks around, hoping to see a familiar face.

She waits in the silence once again, until the same sound is heard. But this time it's a little closer, causing her to gasp in surprise. She swivels around to face the source. "Who's there?!" she asks shakily.

She hears it again, this time to her right.

"I mean it you guys, this isn't funny!" She is almost near tears at this point. "I'm gonna tell Daddy if you don't stop it!"

Tina looks behind her, seeing a large rock, wishing it was home base. But it was too much of an oval shape. She then begins to move towards it, her back facing it while she searches frantically in front of her. Upon feeling its cold, rough surface, she stops, just barely brushing up against it. She stays in that position, now hoping that whatever it was that was out there would go away.

The young pup omits a small whimper, her bottom lip quivering slightly. She searches frantically from side to side, only hearing the sound of her heart beating rapidly from inside of her small chest.

A minute or two passes, still, nothing is heard. She looks all around her again, becoming very uneasy, not wanting to stay in that spot any longer.

Then, while keeping watch in the direction the sound had come from, she begins to make her way around the oval shaped rock, trying to put something solid between her and whatever was out there. She finally reaches the other side-

Tina freezes, as she'd bumped into something. Startled, she whirls around to see the object, only to find a pair of big green eyes looking back at her.

She lets out a horrified scream, causing the owner of the eyes to do the same. Without thinking twice about it, she bounds for the curved end of the rock, hiding behind it, her back up against its surface again. She calls out to the figure, almost screaming. "Who are you?! What do you want?!"

At first, no one responds. She only hears the sound of someone trying to catch their breath, as they had been frightened as well. She yells out again. "What do you want?!"

Eventually, someone does answer, but not in the way Tina had expected. She hears a small, frightened voice come from the other side of the rock. The newcomer had apparently tried to flee in the same manner that she had. "I-I'm really, really sorry," it answers, shakily. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

Still a little shaken up, she manages to raise an eyebrow. "Who are you?!" she asks again, wondering if she should try to swim over to the other side and get a good look at them.

"My dad always tells me not to talk to strangers," the voice says sternly, now trying to hide his fear. "So tell me _you're _name first, and then I'll tell you mine."

"Nuh-uh!" Tina shakes her head. "You're the stranger, Stranger!" She tries to peer around the edge of the rock, seeing if she can get a glimpse of the other end. "You were the one following me! You tell me you're name first."

"Well," came the voice, sounding as if it were thinking about something. "We're technically both strangers…Why don't we just, tell each other our names at the same time?"

Tina thinks about this. "I guess we could do that."

"Okay…on the count of three, we'll both say our names out loud…one, two, three-"

The two both yell out their names at the same time, not understanding the other. "What?" they both say at the same time again. "I couldn't understand-"

Tina, despite her previous actions, giggles. "Look…maybe it would be easier if we just, um, came out of hiding…ya think?"

"Yeah," the voice laughs nervously. "You're right…"

She bites her bottom lip, slowly leaning outwards in an attempt to see the other end of the rock. Instead, she sees the same pair of eyes looking right back at her, a head poking out from behind its hiding place. This time she doesn't scream, but rather grins, beginning to laugh.

The eyes only belonged to a male shark pup…a great white, too, who wasn't any bigger than her. He looks on at her, still somewhat afraid of her.

She points a fin at him, still laughing, "Why, you're not scary at all!" She swims over to his side of the rock, causing him to cower a little. She looks him over. "You're just a kid!"

The pup is a little offended by this. "_I'm _the kid!?" He comes out from behind the large rock, fins on his hips. "What about you? I'm a lot bigger than you are!"

"Whatever!" She holds onto her sides, trying to stop them from hurting. "We're the same size! I can't believe I was afraid of _you_!" She continueslaughing.

"Fine, laugh it up." He says, hurt. Crossing his fins, he turns away from her. "All I wanted was to see if you needed any help, and what do I have to show for being the nice guy?" He glances back at her. "Someone laughing at me."

He begins to swim into another direction, deciding to leave her alone. "What else is new…I guess I'll just be on my way then, if you're not lost or anything…you seem to be a lot happier than you were."

Tina stops laughing, letting out a small gasp. "Wait!" She hurriedly swims up in front of him, causing him to halt. He grins at her, knowing that would prevent her from laughing any further.

"Yeah?" he asks, as if he didn't know what she wanted.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking down. "I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that I was really, really scared…and, when I saw that it was just you, and not a monster or something, I was just relieved, is all." She looks up at him, grinning sheepishly. "I was laughing more at myself than at you." She bats her eyes innocently. "Can you forgive me?"

The pup thinks about this as if it were a very difficult decision. He gives her a friendly smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So…you're not gonna leave me out here all alone?" she asks quietly.

The male chuckles. "Nah. I wasn't really going anywhere." He then points a fin at her, attempting to sound stern. "But I just might change my mind if ya laugh at me again."

She sighs, relieved at the sound of his 'nice guy' tone of voice. "Thank you," she says, grateful. She pauses, as something dawns on her. "Oh!" She raises a fin, giving him a mock solute. "I mean, you got it, Boss."

The two young adolescents laugh at themselves for a moment. After a while their sides begin to hurt, so they have to stop. Tina looks up at him again, grinning as she raises an eyebrow. "Hey, what are we laughing for?"

The young male looks at her with a blank expression. "I have no idea."

They look at each other in silence for a few more seconds, before breaking out into uncontrolled laughter once again, not even knowing why.

Once their able to calm down, the new shark wipes a few tears from his eyes, looking up at her again. "So, um, what is yer name, anyway?" he asks, with a hint of shyness this time.

"I'm Tina," she answers, happy that she's no longer alone. "What's yours?"

"Lenny," he replies, offering a fin to her. "Nice to meet ya, Tina."

"Same here, Lenny!" She gladly accepts his fin, shaking it. "Thanks for checking to see if I was okay. I really am sorry that I laughed."

He waves, as if it were no big deal. "Aww, that's okay. I understand…It happens." He looks around him. "You're not alone all the way out here, are ya? It can be kinda dangerous out here if yer not careful."

She shakes her head. "No. I was playing a game with my brothers, and I guess I wandered too far." She looks down at the ocean floor again. "I've never been to this reef before…I have no idea where I am."

"A tourist, huh?" He gives her a comforting pat on the back. "It's okay. I've been here my whole life. You're not too far from where I live." He points into a direction, Tina following his gaze. "Right over there…a really big boat, ya can't miss it."

Tina suddenly smiles, realizing something. "Hey! I know that place! That's where my daddy is!" She looks over at him. "He's having a meeting there. I don't really know what for, though, but he's definitely there!"

"Your dad?" Lenny asks, raising an eyebrow. "He's in a meeting…right now?" She nods. He thinks about something. "Wait a minute…" He looks at her again, suspicious. "Your dad's name doesn't happen to be…Anthony, does it."

At hearing her father's name, Tina grins, excited. "Yeah! Tony! That's him!" She swims up closer to him. "How did you know that?!"

"Because, my dad's in a meeting, too!" He says, also a little excited. "This morning he was talking about seeing an Anthony, or a Tony, later today."

Tina's eyes widen. "You mean Mister Lino?"

Lenny nods. "Yeah! He's my dad!"

"Wow!" she exclaims. "How cool is this?!"

"You're telling me!" He slaps himself in the forehead, laughing. "What're the odds that I should run into you? I didn't know that he had kids?"

"I know!" She, too, begins to laugh at their odd situation, turning her back on him, looking for her brothers again. "Wait 'til the guys hear about this! They won't believe it!"

"Who?" Lenny asks.

"Oh, sorry," she giggles, turning to face him again. "My brothers, Paulie and Sal. That's who was out here with me." She looks on either side of her. "I still need to find them, though…Boy, I can't wait to tell them about this!"

"Tell us what?"

The two pups scream, spinning around to face whoever it is that had spoken to them. They look up, seeing two very large great whites floating just a few feet away from them. Tina sighs, as it's just Paulie and Sal, while Lenny lets out a surprised yelp, ducking behind her, trembling with fear as he glances over her shoulder up at the two.

Tina grins, still relieved. She puts her fins on her hips. "Why do you guys have to always sneak up on me like that? You scared us!"

Paulie and Sal just look down at the two, observing Lenny with their fins crossed, giving their appearance a very threatening look. They glance at one another, both with an eyebrow raised. Sal looks down at his sister.

"Tina, what're you doin' way out here?" He asks sternly. "You nearly gave us a heart attack!"

"Yeah," says Paulie, just as angry as his brother. "We were afraid that we might have to tell Pop that we'd lost you."

"I'm fine," she said dully, rolling her eyes. "I just got a little lost, is all."

"You know these guys?!" Lenny asks shakily through clenched teeth, still looking up at the intimidating brothers.

She looks back at her new friend with a smile. "Uh-huh. It's okay. They may look mean, but they're actually pretty nice when they wanna be." She faces her brothers again. "Guys, I'd like you to meet someone." She indicates the young shark cowering behind her. "This is Lenny. He's my new friend!"

"Lenny?" Paulie asks, looking up Sal. "Isn't that the name of Don Lino's kid?"

"One of 'em, yeah." The oldest brother continues to observe the male pup. "I think there's another one, though." He leans forward, still looking at Lenny. "Hey, Shorty?" he asks, causing Lenny to hide further behind her. "You got a brother, right?"

Lenny swallows hard. "Y-Yeah, I do," he says, trying to keep his cool. "Frankie. He, he's the oldest."

"Lenny, this is Paulie." Tina points to the second biggest shark on her left. "And this is Sal." She then points at the larger brother on her right. "Their my big brothers!"

"Yer telling me!" he hisses in her ear, hoping they don't hear him. "What's their favorite snack…blue whale?!"

"Actually," says Paulie loudly, grinning and bearing his teeth at Lenny, deciding to have a little fun. "We prefer other Great Whites." He leans in closer to the two young sharks. "Especially when their young…the meat's easier to chew."

Lenny goes pale at hearing this, on the verge of passing out. His father had always warned him and his brother Frankie about sharks that actually ate their own kind. He didn't believe it until now.

Tina rolls her eyes again, sighing. "Paulie, knock it off." She glares up at the large predator. "You've never even had shark before."

Sal grins. "Ya never know…now might be a good time to start." It's his turn to bear his teeth, deciding to join Paulie in the fun. "After all, we have a volunteer right here." He nods his head at the young male. "And he looks like he's got some meat on him, too." He points down at Lenny's stomach, indicating his potbelly.

"Alright, ha ha, very funny." Tina looks back at Lenny. "Don't worry, they're not gonna eat ya. Even if they did want to eat you, they wouldn't even try it with me around. Besides…" She puts a fin up to his ear as if she were going to tell him a secret, but she says it loud enough for them all to hear. "They're actually vegetarians."

Lenny's eyes widen in surprise. "Really?"

"Hey!" said Paulie, offended. "That was a low blow, Squirt." He glares down at her. "Very low."

Sal chuckles. "Well, we did ask for it, Paul." He looks at Lenny, now expressing a friendly smile. "Relax, Kid…we ain't gonna eat ya."

"Oh," Lenny says, trying to sound relieved. He laughs nervously. "That's good…"

Tina giggles. "Lenny, yer funny!"

Paulie rolls his eyes, looking up at Sal again. "Well, we found her…can we go now?"

"Yeah, alright." Sal uncrosses his arms, turning to swim in the direction of the large ocean liner. "Come on, Tina. Pop's gonna want to head out pretty soon."

"Aww," she pouted. "Do we have to leave already?"

"Stop yer whining and lets go!" Paulie growled, causing her to glare up at him. "Yer already in a lot more trouble than yer worth, ya know."

She sticks her tongue out at him once he turns away from her. Lenny stifles a laugh. She then turns to face him.

"Do ya wanna come with us?" she asks sweetly. "I guess we're heading back to your place."

"Well, um, I don't know…" He looks uneasily over at the girl's brutish siblings. "I don't think they like me very much," he whispers.

"Who, them?" She laughs. "Oh, they're harmless…and don't worry, they act that way with everybody…they have this whole 'tuff guy' thing going on." She takes hold of his fins, pulling him into the direction that her brother's are already swimming off in. "Come on, it'll be okay…I promise."

Young Lenny just looks on at her, his fins still in hers. He's wondering whether or not if he should follow the two large brothers who had just threatened to eat him! But he was never one to say no to someone, let alone a girl.

She looks up at him, almost pleadingly. "Please? Paulie and Sal aren't any fun." She bats her eyes at him innocently again. "Please, Lenny…?"

There was no way he was getting out of this one.

He nods, smiling. "Okay," he says, defeated. "If you _really_ want me to." Lenny then thinks of something. "Hey! You can meet _my _older brother, Frankie." He chuckles. "He can be a little like your brothers when he tries to act tough, but he'll like you, so you'll get to see his good side…and that's sayin' a lot!"

"Will he wanna be my friend, too?" she asks, now excited to finally know sharks her age.

"Oh sure," he replies. "He's load of fun! You'll love 'em!"

"Yea!" she cheers, giving Lenny a hug, catching him off guard. "I'm glad you found me out here, Lenny."

Lenny, not knowing what to do, just hugs her back. "Yeah…um, I'm glad, too," he says, a little embarrassed to be hugged by a girl.

Soon, Paulie's aggravated tone can beheard in the distance. "Move it, Squirt! We haven't got all day!"

She backs away from Lenny, yelling into the open ocean. "I'm comin'!" She pauses, then adds, "and don't callme 'Squirt'!"

Tina swims after Paulie and Sal. "Come on!" she yells back at her new friend. "I'll race ya there!" She grins slyly. "That is, if ya think yer shark enough!"

Lenny expresses a similar grin. "Oh you are _so _on!" He then bolts in her direction, catching up to her. They both begin to swim as fast as they can, seeing who can get past the two large predators in front of them first.

* * *

Well, that's the Prologue! What'd ya think? Please review…I LOOOVE feedback! 

Chapter one will be up in no time, so stay tuned everybody!


	2. Chapter One

**Note: **Any characters involved with Shark Tale, aside from Tina and her family, solely belong to…well, Shark Tale (duh).

**Shark Tale: Family Tradition**

**By: Dramaqueen-8.0**

**Chapter 1**

**

* * *

**

As she approached the outer regions of South Side Reef, Tina's excitement grew with each passing second. She couldn't wait to see her old friends again. But the ones she was most thrilled to see were the two she'd known since she was just a shark pup. Since they were all pups. They'd practically grown up together.Tina was on her way to see Frankie and Lenny. Two brothers, and great white sharks like her.

She hadn't seen these waters for at least five years. Her father and two brothers were back home, as they had to take care of certain 'business' related issues. She, on the other hand, had decided to take a little vacation, wanting to get away from her brothers' constant bickering over who would be the new boss when their father stepped down.

This was something that Tina didn't want any part in. She told her family that she needed some time to herself, to think about things. But she didn't even have to think twice about where she wanted to go. Seeing her friends of South Side was exactly what she needed to cheer up, as she hadn't seen them all for what feels like an eternity.

The ones she had missed the most, however, were Don Lino and his family. She'd always hated the thought of being away from them over the past few years…especially Frankie and Lenny, whom she had developed stronger feelings for.

For the longest time, she didn't know who she cared for more. She had always thought of them both as just good friends, like family. But she knew that one of them would have to ask her out eventually. Naturally, that had been Frankie. Although she had a special bond with both of them, she had developed deeper feelings for him.

Tina looked to her left, spying the reef itself. She smiled, remembering how she and Lenny used to actually play games with some of the younger fish residing there. It was nothing new though. Not to her, anyway, as she was well aware of the fact that Lenny was a vegetarian. But she never held that against him. She and Frankie were the only ones who knew about it. It was his only flaw, really. That and he was too nice to be the son of a mob boss-

Tina stopped, as she had seen something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face it. Her mouth dropped open, not believing her eyes.

She then grins. "No way."

Instead of heading for Lino's ocean liner like she had planned, she swims toward a sight that she hasn't seen for a long time, now anxious to see a friend that isn't a shark.

* * *

"No, not that one! The blue one! Lenny, are you listening to me? Lenny?!" 

Lenny shook his head, coming out of a day dream. "Huh? What?" He looks down at the fish next to him.

The aggravated fish slaps himself in the forehead, speaking through gritted teeth, slowly. "I said, the blue one, Lenny. I told you to put your fin on the switch that releases the foam." He throws his fins up above his head. "How do you expect to get these controls figured out if you can't even focus on what I'm saying?"

Lenny sighs. "Sorry, Tom. I guess I just have a lot on my mind." He tried to put a few switches back to the way they were. "I just can't focus right now. But I'll try harder."

Tom rolls his eyes. It was hard to stay mad at Lenny. "No, forget about it. We can do it later." He swims in front the control panel of the Whale Wash, pulling a few switches here and there while still talking to Lenny. "We haven't gotten much business today, so we'll have plenty of time. Why don't you go and see if Angie wants you to do anything else."

The shark smiles down at the red fish, giving him a salute. "You got it, Boss." He then turns tail and swims in the direction of the front office.

Tom sighs, watching him go. "Rookies…" He faces back around to the control panel, waiting for the next customer.

Lenny swims through all the different stations of the wash, casually making his way to the front office, saying a friendly hello to everyone he can.

Despite his lack of focus, he couldn't help but feel great about how good his life was going; his father had accepted him for the way he was, he had plenty of friends now that everyone knew about him being a vegetarian, and Lino wasn't going to retire just yet, leaving Lenny plenty of time to get the business figured out, since he had to take over it all on his own.

He didn't know how things could possibly get any better.

As he approaches the front desk, he can hear Angie's voice as she answers the phone; "Sykes and Oscar's Whale Wash? You get a whale of a wash, and the price, oh my gosh?"

Once in front of her, he waves, getting her attention, as he doesn't want to interrupt her while she's on the phone. He had a bad habit of doing that.

She smiles, waving back, while still talking on the phone. "Uh-huh. Yep, a barnacle-scraping and a turtle-wax should get that right off…Nope, no need for an appointment, we're not too busy today. Just come right on down and we'll set you up…It's not a problem…okay, you too, sir…bye-bye."

She hangs up the receiver, looking up at Lenny again. "What's up, Hun?"

"Nothin'. I'm just supposed to ask you if there's anything for me to do."

"I thought Tom was teaching you how to work the controls for the soap dispenser?" she asks, confused.

"He was, it's just that I wasn't really getting it, so he thought that it might be better if I found something else to do for now."

"Hmm," Angie thinks about this. "Well…I can't really think of anything…unless the turtles need help with-"

"I'm on it!" Lenny said, excited to have something to do. He then swims toward the turtle-waxing station.

Angie giggles, thinking, 'he is just too adorable."

She turns in her chair, facing another area of her desk, taking down notes in her appointment book. After a few minutes of writing and humming to herself, the phone rings again. She sighs, picking up the receiver and saying Sykes' slogan for what always feels like the zillionth time. Angie then listens to what the caller has to say, occasionally writing things down.

While she is still on the phone, however, a feminine voice comes from behind her, speaking to her politely through the pull up window. "Um, excuse me? Can you tell me where I can find Mr. Sykes?"

Angie, distracted with her note taking and the talkative caller, barely glances over her shoulder, not really getting a good look at the speaker. "Yeah, he's in his office. But go on in. He shouldn't be busy with anything." With that, she looks back down at her notebook, speaking to the caller again.

"Thanks," says the voice, just as polite.

But right as the speaker had said this last word, Angie had turned slightly in her chair, trying to face this new customer, only to catch a short glimpse of a tail just swimming around the corner and out of sight.

Angie raises an eyebrow, not understanding what she had seen. She had thought that she had spoken to a woman. But that looked like Lenny had just swam by, as she had just seen a shark's tale, and he was the only shark hanging out at the Whale Wash.

She shrugs, deciding to not look into it too much, instead focusing her attention on the task at hand.

* * *

As she swam up to Syke's office, Tina couldn't help but feel a little out of place here. The last time she'd actually been in the wash was when she was just a pup, that was a long time ago. Everything looked so much bigger then. 

"Uh-oh." Upon reaching his office, she stops, realizing something.

Since everything was no longer large in size now that she was an adult, the door to Sykes' office was no exception. When she was younger, she could easily swim inside. But now, as she looks at the closed doorway, she doubts that she could even get her head in there.

Eventually, she just shrugs. "Oh well." She then knocks lightly on the door.

Tina listens, as Sykes' voice is heard from inside of the small room. "Yeah, who is it?"

She stays quiet, giggling to herself. She always loved to do this with him, or anyone for that matter. Especially Don Lino. It was always a real kicker to get him all wound up.

The puffer fish calls out again, agitated at the silent response. "Who is it?"

Still, she doesn't respond. Sykes is heard yet again, but this time he's speaking to someone inside of the office. "Boys, see who's out there, will ya? Tell 'em to stop wasting my time."

A few seconds later, the door opens, and two jellyfish, both a bluish-purple color, float out of the room, looking ready to pounce on whatever was waiting for them.

"Look, Mon," one of them begins in a Jamaican accent. "Da Boss ain't got time to be playin' games, so-"

Naturally, the two stop dead, not making any sudden movements, staring in sheer terror up at the large predator floating in front of them, who's now leaning coolly up against the wall with her fins folded across her chest.

She gives them a little wave. "Hey."

Tina leans toward them, now at eye level with the two. "Is Mr. Sykes available?" she asks casually.

They nod, slowly. Then, just as gradually, they back away from her, right back into the office, slamming the door shut.

She smiles, listening to the babbling jellyfish as they try to explain themselves to their employer. Deciding to have a little more fun, she positions herself up above the doorway, out of site from whoever comes out.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, the office falls silent. Tina's attention is then drawn towards the door again, as someone begins to open it. Slowly, yet gradually, the door opened. At first, she thinks that it might have just opened on its own, but she's soon proven wrong, as a small, brown head pokes out from inside of the room, looking cautiously around.

Tina rolls her eyes as she watches him cowering in his office. She grins slyly. "You know, I don't ever remember you being this small, Spike."

Sykes let out a surprised yelp, causing him to blow up like a balloon, making him drift right out of his office and into harms way. He flaps his fins helplessly, trying to gain some sort of control, but to no avail.

Tina laughs, swimming down to his level while pointing a fin at him. "But it never ceases to amaze me just how much hot air you can fill up with!"

Eventually, Sykes manages to turn himself enough so that he can see who it is that's frightened him. His eyes widen at the sight of her. "W-what do ya want?" he asked in a high pitched voice. "I don't owe Lino anything, I swear!"

The female shark laughs again. "Relax, Spike. It's just me."

At hearing this, the puffer fish slowly deflates, still rather uneasy at her presence. "You're, not here to, uh, collect something? 'Cause I know for a fact that Lino and I are square! If you're lookin' for someone to collect something from, then go see Oscar, 'cause I don't know what-"

He stops, looking up at her quizzically. "Wait…what did you call me?"

Sykes continues to look up at her in confusion, until finally his eyes widen as a thought dawns on him. He swims closer to her, still not sure of the situation. "No one's called me Spike since,…since…"

Once he recognizes her, however, all of his confusion fades, putting a big grin on his face.

"No, it can't be…Tina? Little Tina?! Is that you, Squirt?!"

She giggles, reaching down and scooping up the smaller fish, embracing him in a hug. "The one and only!"

Despite the fact that she's crushing the life out of him, he tries to embrace her back. "I don't believe it! What're you doin' here?!" He manages to escape her grip, backing away from her so as to get a good look at her. "Holy Toledo , look at you! I barely recognized you! Yer a giant! Jeez, you must've eaten your family out of house and home to get this big!"

"Come on, Sykes, I'm not that much bigger," she lies, knowing full well of her growth spurt since she'd last been to the wash.

"No, I mean it. The last time I saw you, you were only as big as just five of me! Now it's gotta be…what, fifteen, at least!?" Sykes shakes his head, still in awe at her surprise visit. "Come to think of it, you've developed into quite the gorgeous female." He lowers his voice for only her to hear. "And that's saying a lot, especially when its coming from a guy who's not even a shark!"

She giggles again. "Ha, ha, very funny, Sykes."

"So, hey, what're you doing here? Is everything okay?" He asks, finally getting a hold of himself.

"Oh, yeah…fine," Tina answers, clearly not being totally honest. "Everything's great…couldn't be better!"

She looks at Sykes, noticing the raised eyebrow he expresses. He obviously wasn't buying her answer. It was hard to get a lie past someone who did it for a living. "Really? Just fine, huh?" he asks, suspicious.

"What, you don't believe me?" she asks, trying to sound offended. "Sykes, why is it so hard for you to believe that I just came down for no reason at all…just for a friendly visit?" She puts her fins on her hips, turning her back on him. "I am so hurt right now, I…I can't even look at you."

Sykes folds his fins over his chest, eyebrow still raised out of suspicion. "Tina…?"

She glances at him over her shoulder, seeing the look that he's giving her. She hated that look…not just from him, but from anyone. Whoever knew that she was vulnerable to 'The Guilt Trip' look, would be the only ones who could catch her in a lie. Although, she wasn't really trying very hard at the moment, despite the fact that she can be a very good actress.

She sighs, rolling her eyes, knowing it was pointless to try and hide it. She turns to face him again. "Things aren't so good back home."

"Ah…Paulie and Sal?" he asks, glad to get the truth out of her.

Tina nods. "Yep." She leans up against the wall again, crossing her fins. "Dad's ready to call it quits, wanting to retire and move up to New England. He's heard the fishing's great up there…which is fine, but, the guys just can't really agree on who's doing what."

"So, uh, I'm guessing you're not gonna take him up on his offer then…huh?"

She looks at him in silence, finally looking down at the ground. "No…I don't want it."

"Wow," he says, a bit amazed. "Are ya sure…? I mean, you've wanted to be in the business since, well, as long as I can remember, anyway. Plus, it's been quite a while since there was a female shark for a boss…not to mention one so young!" He grins at her. "You could make a real difference, Kid."

"So I've heard," she grumbles. She looks up at him again, now serious. "Look…it's not like I don't want that kind of power…who doesn't…it's just best for the family…my _real_ family, not 'The Family'…if I just leave it all up to them."

"That's too bad," he says, a little disappointed at her news. "It would have worked out really well, what with Paulie and Sal being the muscle, and you running things."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She rolls her eyes again. "But, anyway, I told Dad that I at least need some time to think…without anyone trying to talk me in or out of it." This last remark she says in a raised voice, glaring at Sykes.

He raises his fins in front him. "Alright, alright. You're on a vacation…I get it. I'll keep my mouth shut."

She smiles, shaking her head again, knowing full well that he would eventually say something.

Tina then remembers that she's on a tight schedule, which means that, unfortunately, she has cut this little reunion a bit short.

She grins down at him, getting up from her comfortable position on the wall. "I just thought I would stop by here first. You know, seeing as how it's on my way to Lino's, and all. I hate to leave right away, but I'm kinda short for time. " She gives him another hug, then turning to go. "I'll come back later though. It was good to see again, Spike."

"Well, okay," he says, watching her go. "I guess we'll see ya later, maybe." He then grins slyly, remembering that Lenny was working today. He turns to go back into office, while talking over his shoulder.

"But it's a shame to see ya go so soon, though…What, without saying hi to Lenny and all."

Tina froze, whirling to face the puffer fish. "What?" she asks, wondering if she had heard him right.

Sykes grins even more, turning to face her. "Oh, yeah! In fact, he'd probably be heart broken, if he found out you'd been here and hadn't said hello." He goes to turn around. "But, you're in a hurry, so, I'm sure he'll understand." He waves at her, inching toward his office. "Well, I won't keep ya…See ya, Squirt."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Are you telling me that Lenny's here…at the Whale Wash? Now, right this second?!" She looks in all directions, now very excited. "Where? Where is he? How long has he been here? Did he just get here? Do ya think he saw me?!" She swims back over to Sykes, grabbing a hold of him, putting him eye level with her, so that he's barely touching her nose. "Where is he, Sykes?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down!" Sykes laughs, glad that her enthusiasm hasn't changed a bit. "He's around here somewhere, he's not too hard to find. I mean besides you, he's the only other shark here."

"I can't believe he's here! I have to find him." She turns to go again, but first she turns back to Sykes, giving him another hug. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere!" After releasing him, she starts to swim away from his office, in search of her friend.

Sykes watches her go, scratching his head. "Well…I certainly didn't see that on today's schedule."

"Hey, B-boss?"

He turns, seeing Ernie and Bernie floating in the open entrance to his office, looking as if they'd just seen a ghost.

"Who was dat?!" Bernie asked, coming out from behind Ernie.

"Yeah," said Ernie. "Since when do you hug sharks…or anyone?!"

"Boys," answered Sykes. "That wasn't just a shark." He glances over in the direction Tina had taken off in. "That was someone very special."

The two henchmen just look at their employer in confusion. Bernie then swims up to him. "Well, who is she?" he asks, fearing for his boss' sanity.

Ernie is close behind him. "It's not often dat ya get excited over a shark being here. Ya still get edgy when Lenny gets near ya!"

Sykes looks back at the jellyfish. "It's sort of a long story." He swims back into his office, Ernie and Bernie close behind. Once they're in, they close the door behind them, Ernie looking through the window, fearing she might return.

Sykes goes back behind his desk, making himself comfortable. "Ya see, boys," he begins. "There was a time when, long before you had come to work for me, I was a close friend of someone who was of great importance to the organization which, you may recall, is ran by none other than Don Lino himself."

"Uh-huh…," the two answer in unison, trying to follow along with what he's saying.

The puffer fish continues. "Well, obviously, he was a shark. He was not only a good friend of mine, but also a close acquaintance of Lino's. After a while, he began to gain quite a bit of respect, earning him the title of Dean. Since there could only be one Don in this part of the ocean, and since he wasn't willing to take that from Lino, he and his family moved on to some other area, coming to visit Lino every so often.

"Now, for business purposes, I can't really mention a whole lot about my supposed 'friend'. But what I can tell you is that he has three kids. One of whom you have just had the pleasure of meeting."

"Uh-huh…" It's Bernie's turn to glance out the window, a bit uncomfortable.

"He also has two older sons; Paulie and Sal. Now those two…" Sykes shudders, recalling what terrors the two young sharks were. "They're a different story. But Tina," he glances up at the window of his door, which both jellyfish are now looking out of. "She was, um, how can I put this…an individual."

This catches the henchmen's attention. They look back at Sykes. "Individual?" they ask.

"Yeah. Ya might say she's a lot like Lenny. She was never really a full vegetarian, though, 'cause she didn't want some sharks to know about it, but unlike Lenny, her father knew. So, she just ate fish when she had to, which is why she hung around here so much. She was friends with a lot of the fish here, including yours truly.

Sykes pauses, thinking of something. He then chuckles. "Ya know, it's funny, but even though she had so much in common with Lenny, she and him never really hooked up."

He gets up out of his chair, swimming over to a picture on the wall, admiring it. In it are three young shark pups, each making some kind of funny gesture at the camera. They have their fins over one another. They're obviously very close.

Sykes points at the photograph. "Ya see this?" he asks them. "This was taken a long time ago. The one in the middle there, that's her, Tina. The one on her left is Lenny, and the other, Frankie." He folds his fins behind his back, now talking more to himself than to them. "Back then, it didn't matter what anyone thought about them or what their fathers did for a living…all that mattered was that they had each other, 'cause what they had was real friendship."

He grins. "Those three…they were quite the hand full, let me tell ya." He heads toward the door of his office. "Especially Frankie and Tina. Boy, when those two had an idea, it happened, no matter what the consequences were. And no matter what trouble they got into, they some how managed to get out of it just as easily."

He passes the jellyfish, looking out of his window, trying to spot the female shark. "It wasn't really much of a surprise when those two decided to start dating."

Ernie and Bernie stare at Sykes in amazement, mouths hanging open. Ernie is the first to speak. "Ya mean, Frankie had…a, girlfriend?!"

Sykes, without turning to face them, nods his head. "Yep, pretty much."

Bernie is still in shock at hearing this little bit of information. "Wait a minute, mon…are we thinking of da' right Frankie? Now…you're talkin' about Don Lino's boy, right? 'Dat Frankie? 'Da cold-blooded, nasty, vicious, no sooner rip ya to shreds than look at ya, Frankie…'Dat Frankie, right?"

Sykes sighs, aggravated at what little bit of intelligence these two had. "Yes, Boys. That very same Frankie." He continues to look out the window. "But once her family moved away, they had to split up. She could barely find time to come visit anyone, what with how busy her father was, and her brothers growin' up, getting involved in the business, and she was too young to be swimming out there all by herself."

He shakes his head. "Poor kid. They were crazy about each other. It must have been hard for her to hear about him dieing like that."

"But…she didn't look too upset just now, Boss," Bernie pointed out.

"Hey, yeah," said Ernie, realizing this as well. "She was actin' like it never even happened." He turns to Bernie. "Makes ya wonder if she even knows about him yet."

Sykes faces them, raising an eyebrow. "Are you two out of your mind? Why wouldn't she know about something like that-"

The puffer fish stops, drawing in a short, quick breath. His eyes widen. "Oh no…"

* * *

Lenny picked up another sponge, so he could have one in each fin. He then continues to wax the side of the whale stationed in front of him, whistling happily. Once in a while, he glances on either side of him, watching the turtles as they do what they're best at, making sure he's doing his job right. 

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," he says to the turtle closest to him.

The turtle looks over at what he's doing. "Hey, not bad," she says reassuringly. "Pretty soon, you'll be able to do this faster than all of us put together."

"Ah, go on," Lenny says, a little embarrassed. "Ya really think so?"

"Well, sure," responded the turtle on his right. "If you like you can finish up here while the rest of us start on the other side. It'll save some time."

"No problem!" said Lenny.

He continues scrubbing while the turtles make their way around to the other side of the whale, leaving him to finish up. After a few minutes of just scrubbing, he chuckles, as an amusing thought had just occurred to him.

With his left sponge, he makes a circle. He then does the same to the opposite sponge. While doing this, the shark states, in a sort of Asian accent, "wax on…wax off…wax on…wax off." Naturally, this only encourages his amusement.

"Are ya havin' fun there, Young Grasshopper?" says a voice nearby.

"Huh?" He says distractedly, dropping one of the sponges, surprised by someone laughing from behind him.

"Woops," he mumbles, bending down to pick up his cleaning accessory.

But before he could reach for it, he froze, catching a glimpse of the lower torso of a slender, female shark, floating not too far off to the side. He stays in that position for a few seconds, just staring, until finally, she clears her throat, bending down to his line of sight.

She smiles at him. "Did I scare ya?"

Almost immediately, he straitens up, dumbstruck at the sight of her. "Uh, s-sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean to, you know, um, stare. It was an, an, accident." He could feel himself turning red. When it came to talking with girls, he usually did pretty good. But if the girl happened to be a great white, then that's a whole other ball park.

The fact that she was very attractive didn't exactly help.

She giggles, swimming a little closer to him. "Lenny, don't call me 'ma'am'. I'm younger than you." She crosses her fins. "That's like me referring to Don Lino as 'Kid'."

Lenny continues to look at her. It takes him a few seconds to realize how she knows his name.

His eyes widen, much like Sykes' had once he had figured it out. "Tina…?" He looks her up and down. "Is that…really you?!"

"Well, duh! Who else is it gonna be!" Tina laughs, bounding forward, embracing her surprised friend in a hug.

Despite his confusion, he embraces her right back. "I don't believe it! It's really you!" He too begins to laugh, as he twirls her in a circle.

He eventually stops, putting her down, but still holding on to her fins. "Wow, Tina, you,…you look really, great!" Lenny manages to stammer, looking her over again.

"Me? What about you?" She swims all around him, taking in his appearance. "You're huge! The last time I saw you, you and I were the same size! Five years later, now look at ya!" She swims in front of him again, not resisting the urge to give him another big hug, which he gladly accepts. "Lenny, it's so good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too." He holds that position for as long as he can, until finally she pulls away from him, still smiling.

"So…?" Lenny starts, trying to think of what to say. "What are you doing here? I mean, it's great to see ya and all, but, wow," he chuckles. "Talk about last notice!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. It is last minute. But things just aren't that, um, great, at home." Tina looks him in the eyes. "What with Dad wanting to retire and all." She shakes her head. "Paulie and Sal keep arguing about who should be the new boss. I just had to get away from it, is all." She then rolls her eyes. "They can have it!"

Lenny then remembers her two older brothers, Paulie and Sal, recalling how much larger they were compared to him. He looks around nervously, as they had always used to follow her around, under their fathers' orders, keeping an eye on their little sister.

Tina notices this, causing her to smile. She puts a fin on his shoulder, saying quietly, "Don't worry. It's just me. Everyone else is back home. I told Dad that I needed a little time for myself, and he understood."

Upon hearing this, Lenny exhales slowly, hoping she didn't notice that, too. He looks her in the eyes again. "And he was okay with that? I mean, you going off by yourself, and all?"

"Oh, sure!" She waves a fin, indicating that it wasn't a big deal. "I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself." She winks at him.

"Why, yes you are, Ms. Tina," Lenny says, slyly, holding her fin as if he were going to kiss it, causing her to giggle. "Yes you are." He loved to make her laugh.

"Besides," she says, once she is able to stop giggling. "I told him where I was going, and that I would just be visiting you and Frankie, and that was that."

At the mention of his late brother's name, Lenny's heart sinks, remembering the relationship that she and him had shared. He lets go of her fin. "Frankie?" he croaks, beginning to pale.

"Uh-huh," she says, as she looks around the wash. "Speaking of Frankie…is he here too or back home?"

Lenny just looks on at her blankly. He felt like he was going to be sick. How could she not know?! And what's worse, he has to be the one to tell her!

Lenny swallows hard. Despite the fact that they were underwater, his mouth feels suddenly dry. "F-Frankie…?" he says again, as it's all he can say.

"Yeah," she says, still looking around. "Sykes said that you were the only shark here, but seeing as how you follow Frankie everywhere, I just thought I'd check." Tina looks back at him hopefully, waiting for an answer.

Lenny just shakes his head, opening his mouth. But no sound comes out. He looks down at the ground, not really sure how he should break this to her. "Tina," he finally says, quietly. "Oh, Tina, I'm…I'm sorry."

She raises an eyebrow at him, almost laughing again. "Sorry? What're you sorry for?"

He doesn't say anything, as it still hurts for him to just think about the accident. But trying to tell someone who didn't know that it had happened was even harder.

And she wasn't just anyone.

Her smile fades, noticing the sudden change in her friend's mood. "Lenny, what's wrong?" she asks softly.

When he doesn't respond again, she uses her fin to put his head up right, guiding his eyes to meet her light blue ones. "Lenny?" she asks again, holding her fin in place. "What are you sorry for?" Her tone now sounds worried rather than cheerful, as it had just a moment ago.

As he looks into her eyes, he finds it even harder to tell her about Frankie, who he knows that she still must care for very much, despite the fact that they hadn't been together for a few years now. But still, he didn't want to see her hurting, and this would definitely hurt. It always broke his heart to see her in pain.

He takes a deep, shaky breath, trying his hardest to prepare himself. "Tina…"

Lenny stops, looking around him, suddenly becoming aware of where they are. He looks back at her. "Come on." He takes a hold of her fin, leading her away from the wash and anyone who might be able to hear them.

"Where are we going?" she asks, somewhat aggravated, as she had promised Sykes that she would see him again.

"You'll see."

Lenny leads Tina farther away from the wash, away from the reef, so that they're almost to the ocean liner, in shark territory. But instead of actually going to the liner itself, he takes her to a large, open space about a mile away from it. There's not a fish in sight as he stops, turning to face her. He is about to say something, but she beats him to it.

"Lenny, what is going on?" she demands, taking her fin out of his grip. "What's wrong?"

"Tina…this isn't easy for me, but…"

He pauses, swallowing the lump in his throat. He takes another deep breath. It was best to get this over and done with now.

"A little while ago, Frankie and I were out swimming, 'cause Pop wanted him to show me the ropes…how to be a shark, and all. Well, anyway, we saw this fish, and, Frankie…he, uh, went for it, and, all of a sudden…out of nowhere, this, this…anchor, it…comes down and it…it…"

Lenny has to stop, as he's on the verge of tears, but doesn't want to shed them. Not now.

Throughout all this, Tina just looks on at him, eyes wide with worry and terror. She shakes her head. "I, I don't understand," she says in a frightened tone. She gets up close to him, putting her fins up onto his front, mainly for support. She looks into his eyes again, hers are also near tears.

"Lenny, what's happened…? Where's, where's Frankie…?" she asks, her voice shakier than ever, dreading what his answer will be, despite the fact that deep down, she already knows. "Where is he?!"

He looks down at the ocean floor again, unable to look her in the eyes any longer, as it pains him to see them fill with tears. But not only that, it was his words that brought them to her eyes.

Why did he have to be the one to tell her? Why him? He hated to see anything suffer. But she was different…she was special. It just isn't fair for them both to go through this. Not like this.

Then, without looking up at her, in a small voice he tells her, doing his best to fight back his own tears, causing his eyes to sting;

"Frankie's dead."

To be continued…

* * *

Wow! I'm getting all emotional, here! sniff, sniff…Okay, I'm fine…sob. 

Well, what'd ya think? Please Review, and keep a look out for Chapter 2!


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